The New NHL meets Craig MacTavish

I think shootouts are pretty dumb, since the "winning" team gets an extra point essentially for having players who can score under circumstances you would never see during a game. That is, settling a hard-fought game in a shootout is pretty much like settling an NBA game by having a best-of-3 game of H-O-R-S-E. Some teams would have one scrubby white dude who could hit a spinning, half-court hook shot, and that would be that.

In fact, the best goal I have ever seen in a shootout was scored by the completely offensively inept defenseman, Marek Malik. Look it up on Google Video.

Plus, the fact that perhaps the greatest goalie ever to play, Martin Brodeur, is only 11-6 in shootouts should be a big warning sign. If the best there is dropped 6 games because he couldn't stop a lone skater, and some of those SO losses came against bad teams like the Avalanche, Islanders (twice!), and Kings, then something's wrong.

Anyway, that's not really why I started this post. I actually think it's time, since the SO isn't going to go away, to just open it up all the way and let players take the shots without helmets, to add more personal interest to the whole thing (with the giant padding, the players look too much like robots already). I would also allow them to not wear gloves if they preferred, and the goalie would have the option of 1. having his stick, or 2. throwing one (1) water bottle at the approaching shooter.

I would also allow home fanes to throw shit, like dead rats or souvenir pucks, at the opposing shooters; also, at commissioner Gary Bettman (who looks exactly like Dracula, so could he be called "Count Hockula"?).